We have tasted the Gesha from this farm since it was first planted. The trees are still young, but this is the second year there has been enough to roast and share. As expected, the quality continues to improve as the plants mature. This year, the cup is even more floral, with jasmine, peach nectar, and melon.
Gesha
Embu
1,680 masl
September, 2024
Harvested at peak ripeness. Hand-sorted and floated to further remove defects. De-pulped on the day of harvest. Mixed to ensure uniform distribution. Dry-fermented for 24 hours. Light wash. Dry-fermented for an additional 24 hours. Washed again, then floated through channels to sort by density and remove any remaining defects. Dried on raised beds under shade nets until moisture content reaches 16%, then moved to upper beds to finish drying to ~10.5%.
ABOUT THE MBATURE FAMILY
Kamavindi was founded in 1958 by the late John Njiru Mbature during British colonial rule. Originally a 20-hectare (~50-acre) farm, it began with just 100 coffee trees—the legal limit for native Africans at the time. When restrictions were lifted in 1961, John planted an additional 500 trees. Over the years, Kamavindi expanded to 10,000 trees, with 7,000 SL28 and 3,000 Ruiru 11. Now managed by Peter Mbature, his mother Hellen Weveti, and his sister Gladwell Wanjira, the farm is transitioning to a full SL28 planting. They are also establishing a training center to educate farmers and coffee buyers on processing and farm management, further investing in the future of Kenyan coffee.
ABOUT GESHA
Gesha was originally collected from coffee forests of Ethiopia in the 1930's. From there, it was sent to the Lyamungo Research Station in Tanzania, and then brought to Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE) in Central America in the 1953, where it was logged as accession T2722. It was distributed throughout Panama via CATIE in the 1960’s after its tolerance to coffee leaf rust was recognized. However, it was not widely planted because the plant's branches were brittle and not favored by farmers. Gesha came to prominence in 2005, when the Peterson family of Boquete, Panama, entered it into the Best of Panama competition and auction. It received exceptionally high marks and broke the then-record for green coffee auction prices, selling for over $20 per pound. Since then, the variety has become a resounding favorite of brewing and roasting competition winners and coffee enthusiasts alike.
Pricing Details
DIRECT
$200.00/KG
The cost of getting a coffee from cherry to beverage varies enormously depending on its place of origin and the location of its consumption. The inclusion of price transparency is a starting point to inform broader conversation around the true costs of production and the sustainability of specialty coffee as a whole.